Reckless | R.J. McBrien

She’s not necessarily a likable lead, but she is certainly relatable on many levels. Her frustrations with her husband and marriage, her relationship with her teenage daughter and her desire to want more with her life, whilst also holding on to the things that she knows she should be grateful for. And here lies what I found specifically interesting about the book. The exploration of desires verses morality and the idea of being “grateful” especially as a woman, at the expense of our own happiness.

2021 Reading Update

Now that we’ve passed the middle point of the year (July 2nd, unless its a leap year) I thought I’d share my reading update. I set myself an arbitrary goal of 50 books this year, there’s a blog post on my reasoning (or lack of) if you’re interested, so I thought this might be the perfect time to update you on my progress.

Cut from the Same Cloth? Muslim Women on Life in Britain | Edited by Sabeena Akhtar

“Riot, Write, Rest: On Writing as a Muslimah” by Sumaya Kassim. “we are more than just anthropologists of whiteness; we have lives outside other people’s fantasies of us” Sumaya shares her struggles as a writer always aware of the expectation society has of her and the limited archetype of Muslim women. She writes “whatever you fight, you strengthen. Whatever you resist, persists. When we work hard to humanise ourselves, the battle is already lost.” Her insights into the creative industry alongside her personal and spiritual journey gives credence to her belief that writing is revolutionary, especially as a Muslim women.